From heart surgery to art, Leon Nesis has done it all

MILLBROOK —  With colorful artwork up and down the long hallway, it was hard to decide where to look first. The Fountains has many talented artists, and a new exhibit opened on Sunday, March 19, celebrating the work of resident Leon Nesis.

From a bouquet of red roses that he painted in honor of his and wife Bobbi’s wedding anniversary to forest scenes and seascapes, each painting is a study in color and movement. Each is signed Loncho, a name he acquired as a child in his native Argentina. Nesis says he has gone through different phases as an artist, including one period where what he painted most was all about emotion and feelings.

A renowned cardiac surgeon, Nesis says he didn’t have time to paint when he worked at a hospital in Long Island and also taught at New York University. The painting came later, after he retired. He’s quick to point out that it is a hobby, something that came after his life’s work.

He first retired to the Berkshires — Lenox and then Richmond — but he and his wife came to the Fountains about three and a half years ago. They have a cottage, and that is where he does most of his painting, although he occasionally visits the art studio in the Fountains, and regularly confers with art teacher Ellen Metzger O’Shea.

If he misses the business of life as surgeon and teacher, he has found a way of filling his days — with art, family and the many friends he has made at the facility. His art is also a means of recapturing memories of his many travels around the world; his paintings reflect the travels he’s made and the people he’s met.

Nesis had a one-man show at the Millbrook Library about two years ago, and he has also exhibited with other artists at the Fountains. People have asked to buy his works: “I paint for my family and friends. It’s not a business. I don’t sell my work.” While he may not sell his work, what he has already created can still be viewed and enjoyed.